


J is for Jumping Ropes

by kuriadalmatia



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alphabet Meme, Case Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-26
Updated: 2010-11-26
Packaged: 2017-12-04 06:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuriadalmatia/pseuds/kuriadalmatia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During those first few months back at the BAU, Dave Rossi tried to ignore Reid when the kid went off on a tangent. Which meant, of course, Dave tried to ignore Reid a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	J is for Jumping Ropes

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback always welcome.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television own Criminal Minds. Salut! I just took them out to play and I promise put them back when I'm done. I'm not making any profit just trying to get these images out of my head.

///***///

During those first few months back at the BAU, Dave Rossi tried to ignore Reid when the kid went off on a tangent. Which meant, of course, Dave tried to ignore Reid a lot. He didn’t want to be rude about it, but when Reid literally quoted his books on more than one occasion, Dave attempted to tune him out. However, there was something about the pitch of Reid’s voice and the enthusiasm which he spoke that made it nearly impossible _not_ to listen to what the kid was saying.

He wasn’t sure how the others put up with it; the only person Reid didn’t ramble around all that much was Hotch, who apparently perfected the art of saying ‘shut the fuck up’ by simply raising an eyebrow.

Dave had no such luck. As the months and cases wore on, Dave came to realize that Reid sometimes used those words as a way of distraction. What relevance did the fact that the Volvo Amazon was originally spelled with an ‘s’ instead of a ‘z’ or that the vehicle was the first to feature three-point safety belts? However, it certainly beat dwelling a case that didn’t go so well.

He never thought he’d actually use the information until eighteen months later and dealing with an UnSub who strangled six twelve-to-thirteen year old girls. Examining the bedroom of the second victim—Carla Baelsaf—Dave came across the _AAU Jump Rope Tournament_ rulebook and a photo of Carla and her sister with their jumping ropes.

Wisps of a conversation from over a year ago echoed in his mind. Dave walked out into the main room where Reid was checking out framed photos of the Baelsaf family on the wall.

Dave pitched his voice low. “You said that the marks on all the victims’ necks were made by an unusual ligature, that they were spaced like a chain-link but it wasn’t. What if the UnSub used a jumping rope? There are different types: nylon, braided, and woven…but there’s also a beaded type that could match…”

Reid nodded with muted enthusiasm, mindful that the victim’s parents were in the house. He said, “I think that Jenna Hoelst was into competitive jump rope as well. Let me call Garcia. This could be why the UnSub is crossing racial lines; the UnSub is eliminating potential rivals.”

Later that evening, Dave made his way down to hotel’s hallway. He earned his reputation as a jackass the hard way—mainly by consistently being one—but during his second tenure at the BAU, Dave vowed that he would thank people when they deserved it.

He knocked on Reid’s door. When the younger agent opened it, there was no surprise in his expression or stuttered question of, _Why are you here?_ No. Reid just looked at him expectantly, self-assurance rolling off in waves.

Reid by nature wasn’t an arrogant man, although his intelligence gave him the perfect excuse to be.

“I just wanted to say,” Dave started, surprised that he was the one who was a bit nervous. Probably because it wasn’t in the habit of doing this privately. If it was patting someone on the back in the precinct or saying ‘good job’ while out in the field was one thing. A personal visit? Hell, he never even did that for Aaron. He made sure he met Reid’s gaze as he said, “I wanted to say thanks for this afternoon.”

Reid tilted his head sideways and blinked. He narrowed his eyes yet didn’t speak.

“The jumping rope thing. You talked about it during that trip we took to McCreary,” Dave clarified, remembering his own ‘why the fuck is Reid talking about jump ropes?’ on their way to the maximum security federal penitentiary.

Reid rolled back on his feet and laughed a little. “You paid attention?”

Dave could only shrug and then quoted, “‘Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.’”

“Proverbs,” he identified, but instead of blushing at the compliment as Dave had expected him to, Reid only nodded. “Thank you.”

///***///


End file.
